In a time where NFL players haven’t been able to get into their team facilities and take advantage of all the perks and amenities that are at their disposal, they’re having to find methods of fitness and recovery that work for them outside of their normal routine.
For linebacker Drue Tranquill, he’s turned to “cold water therapy,” which is a method where a person forces themselves to take cold showers (or jump in the ocean, whatever works) in order to reduce inflammation following hard training sessions.
Tranquill shared details of his chilly ordeals on The Jim Rome Show on Friday.
“I will typically do some type of cold water therapy, whether it’s a cold shower or whether I have the chance to make it out in the ocean and catch some waves,” Tranquill told Rome. “If I get into a surf session and catch a wave then usually i’ll reward myself with a warm shower at night but if I don’t have the opportunity to get out into the ocean then I’ll discipline myself with a cold showers. I still love that cold water routine, for sure.”
When Jim Rome asked Tranquill if the therapy was mostly for mental toughness or physical healing, the second-year linebacker was adamant that it helps in a number of ways.
“It’s certainly a combination. I think at first it’s obviously to reduce inflammation but there’s also a mental toughness component when you look at just the discipline to actually engage and do it on a daily basis, it’s certainly something that’s not comfortable. We talk about it all the time in our locker room with coach Gus Bradley. He says, ‘When you’re uncomfortable and you have great spirit, it can lead to great growth.’ So, I’m just trying to do it day-in and day-out over the long haul and hopefully it leads to good results.”
In three starts while playing in 15 games total as a rookie, Tranquill finished with 75 total tackles and four tackles-for-loss.
In 2020, he’ll be looking to pin down the starting MIKE job while also working to create a young dynamic linebacker duo with rookie Kenneth Murray in the middle of the Chargers defense for years to come.